Cliff Diving on a Cloudy Day
by FictionFanatic82
Summary: During New Moon... Bella gets hurt really badly after jumping off the cliff and dies. Although her body may be rotting in Forks Cemetery her spirit is still walking around. Only Edward can see her and everyone thinks he's crazy...
1. Wounds and Wolves

A.N.: I don't own Twilight or any of the Twilight Characters. I'm just a fan. Oh, and Edward can't see Bella yet. She has to die first. Thanks for reading! Please review... its my first fanfic...

Chapter One

Wounds and Wolves

Jacob would have been able to save me if I hadn't hit my head. When it snapped against the rocky bottom, when a wave pulled me under, I knew it was the end. The waves still fought, trying to decide which one would keep my body, but after a couple of minutes Jacob pulled it to shore. I watched from alongside him as he worked to resuscitate me, but I knew his efforts were in vain. Confused, I tried to figure out why I was still here, why I was watching my final moments. But then it hit me, I shouldn't waste my moments on Earth gazing after my own lifeless form on the beach. I wanted to find Edward. I wanted to see his face one more time. As soon as I thought it, I was gone. The pebbled surface of the beach disappeared and my feet quickly hit rough wood. The room was dark and I could see very little, but I could hear him.

"Edward, get a grip!" He yelled to himself. "She can have a life now. She won't constantly be chased by the dark cloud that we drag wherever we go. She can be safe. She's better off without you! Stay here! It's the right thing to do!" He moaned in despair and continued his frenzied pacing.

Even angry and antagonized, he was beautiful. The pure velvet of his voice was only slightly marred by the edge of conflict and just hearing it sent silent tears cascading down my cheeks. If he looked up, he would have been able to see me. The dim light streaming through the grimy windows was enough that he should have been able to. I wondered if this was real, but when I saw him, I couldn't doubt it any longer.

I was hypnotized by the sight of him, at least the parts that I could see. My human eyes weren't quite up to seeing in the dark, but his skin shone dully even in the restricted light. I took a tentative step and felt unusually light on my feet. Normally such an action would have sent something, primarily me, tumbling to the ground, but now I slide along gracefully, not making a sound. Edward still did not look up. His thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ring of his cell phone.

"Rosalie, I don't want to talk right now," He said as soon as he had snapped open his phone and seen the caller ID.

Conversations like this normally would have been out of my hearing ability, but for some reason, probably because I was dead, I could hear the entire exchange even though I could tell that his voice and Rosalie's for that matter would be close to silent and impossibly fast as they normally were.

"Edward, you have to come home," She responded, sounding very annoyed with the start to the conversation. "Carlisle is coming back tonight and he wants to talk to you."

"Have him call me," Edward mumbled back, still pacing, his eyes locked on the floor.

"There's something else too, and I think that you should come home before I tell you," Rosalie said, her voice dropping even lower.

"What?" Edward hissed, impatient and frustrated

"I can't tell you now. Come home. Be with us. We miss you," She said

"Just tell me the news Rosalie. It's not worth my time coming home," He snarled.

I could tell that Rosalie was upset with the way that her brother was treating her, and her voice reflected my suspicions.

"Alice had a vision this afternoon about your little Bella," Rosalie said, her voice filled with venom. I shivered at the sound of my own name.

"I told her to stop looking for her," Edward growled, equally furious. "I don't want to hear it Rose, just leave me alone."

"Well, I guess I'll go then, but her funerals next Wednesday in case you're wondering," Rosalie hung up with a small click and Edward's arm fell limply to his side.

So I was dead. It came as no surprise to me, but I was curious. Why was I still here? Why could I still see and feel and hear and think? It made no sense, but I wasn't complaining. As long as I could see Edward, I was alright. Edward disappeared then, and I followed. He ran at lightning speed and I appeared alongside him when he slowed. He never took any notice of me, obviously distracted. I wondered idly if others could see me, but it hardly mattered. The only one I cared about was Edward. I hadn't tried speaking yet, I was too awestruck in his presence. Months of separation had made me susceptible to stop breathing when he was near, but as soon as I had this thought, I dismissed it. I didn't need to breathe. Dead, remember?

I didn't recognize the places that he went, but I followed nevertheless, never making a sound. Everything but Edward was a blur. Nothing else mattered but the grace of his figure as he moved hurriedly through crowds of people. Edward pulled out his phone and dialed another number. We were in an alley now, quiet and shady. Edward sat down against the brick wall behind several trashcans and waited while the phone rang.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was familiar, but it was not one that I had been expecting to hear. Jacob's tone was comforting, but immediately I was confused. Why was Edward calling Jacob?

"Hi, this is Carlisle Cullen, is Charlie there please?" Edward asked, his voice a perfect imitation of his father's silken tone.

"Oh, actually he's not here right now. Can I take a message?" Jacob sounded desolate and my heart went out to him. Poor Jacob, I never meant to leave him alone.

"I just wanted to talk to him. Do you know where he is?" Edward continued

"He's actually at the hospital right now. I don't know when he'll be back, but I'll have him call you." Jacob said, unwilling to say much more.

"Hospital?" Edward asked.

"Bella had an accident, and she's in the ICU," Jacob responded morosely.

Hmmm…. So I wasn't dead. No matter, it was soon to come. I was upset. I didn't want my time with Edward to end, especially when he couldn't run from me this time.

"What happened?" Edward asked, his voice getting softer by the second.

"She hit her head while cliff diving and is in a coma right now. It's not looking good," Jacob said, and then he broke off in quiet sobs. The line went dead and Edward dejectedly through his phone over his left shoulder. It bounced off the rim, and landed in a dumpster.

Edward began talking to himself, muttering nervously and wringing his hands. It wasn't the Edward I knew. All of his composure had been chipped away and he was a mess. His eyes were dark and it looked as though he hadn't hunted in a long time. Instinctively I took a step back, but then realized that he couldn't smell me. Edward cradled his head in his hands and sat very still.

"Edward?" I tried to ask, but my voice got lost in the wind. It slipped away before I even had the courage to say anything. I wanted to reach out and console him, but my feet had stopped moving and I was paralyzed where I was. I closed my eyes tightly and when I opened them the setting had changed drastically.

I was in a bright hospital room with florescent lights and the smell of chemicals. There was a bed and two hard maroon colored chairs. It took me a minute to realize that the girl in the hospital bed was me. Eyes closed, tubes coming out of her nose, skin paler than usual and bruises all over, the girl looked like a shadow of who I was. I absentmindedly moved closer and brushed the hair out of the eyes of my sleeping form. This was surreal. I was going insane. Something was wrong. I had no idea.

I sat there all night. No visitors came or went. Visiting hours were over and they don't make exceptions. I was stable and the hospital staff wasn't worried. I sat and thought over everything, and I realized what an idiot I had been. Motorcycles and cliff diving? I hadn't even thought about the people I was hurting. Jake, Charlie, Renee, Angela, Mike, I'm sure there were others. I effectively committed suicide by jumping off that cliff. Now I wasn't even sure what was happening and I was scared.

That was when Edward came. He stole silently through the door and stood by my sleeping form. He touched my cheek softly and I swear that I felt it. He whispered in my ear and I heard it. I saw him do it, but my actual body saw only her own eyelids. I watched as he sank slowly onto the bed and struggled with an internal dilemma. That was when it struck me. He could save me. He could bite me. He could make me one of them. But then he was walking away, leaving the room and me. How could I have forgotten? He didn't love me anymore. Why would he want to be burdened with that eternal commitment? Why would he want a nuisance following him around for the next million years? It didn't even make sense in my own head.

I couldn't stay there any longer. Seeing myself fragile and broken was killing me inside and I needed to escape. I wanted to see Charlie and the second I came to that conclusion, I did. There is only one pub in the town of Forks. O'Malley's Bar was a shady place, and a lot of people didn't really 

approve. It was there mostly for the drifters and travelers that wandered into Forks by mistake and needed to drink themselves silly so that they could get over it, but Charlie was there that night, and he was not in good shape. There were bottles all over the bar by the time I got there, and Charlie was stooped over and asleep. The bartender stared at him pitifully and cleared away the refuse of Charlie's binge. After a couple of minutes, he pulled him up and led him to a booth in the back corner where he said that Charlie could "sleep it off". I assumed that he too, had heard about my accident. I couldn't stay here either so I left to find Jacob. He wasn't asleep as I thought he would be. At this point it was 3 or 4 in the morning, but Jacob was up and around. He was walking restlessly on the beach where we had spent so many afternoons together. He stared angrily up at the cliff that had been the cause of injury and the black clouds that still hung lazily in the sky. The ocean was still churning madly and I once again realized with a pang of regret how stupid I had been. Jacob was crying and I went to wrap my arms around him. The tears stopped and he sighed heavily. He couldn't see me either, but it seemed like he felt my presence and that was enough for me. A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I wondered if maybe I might live through this. Was it possible for me to wake up from this and be alright? I doubted it, but some part of my mind told me that it could happen.

I released Jacob from my hold and was shocked to see a wolf on the horizon. I didn't recognize it as one of Jacob's pack brother's so I was confused at what it was doing walking towards Jacob. It was small compared to Jacob's wolf form and grey, but it was much larger compared to a normal wolf. I stopped worrying when it broke off and ran into the woods, but then Leah Clearwater appeared seconds later. She ran gracefully down the beach and stopped a few feet away from Jacob.

"Jacob," She sighed when she got closer. "I'm so sorry about Bella." She placed her arms around Jacob just like mine had been seconds ago. "It's going to be alright."

"Did you see her Leah? She's a mess and I'm responsible. I was supposed to watch her yesterday. I was supposed to be taking care of her and because of that freakin vampire; I let her jump off a cliff. What if she dies Leah?" Jacob asked. The sadness in his voice was tangible and it cut me inside.

"Jacob, everything is going to be fine," Leah reassured him. "They say she's stable. She's not in any immediate danger. Don't worry. Honey, everything is going to be fine."

"I'm scared Leah. She was my best friend. I was going to ask her to be in our wedding. I can't lose her," He answered slightly breathlessly. He stopped talking to hug Leah tight and she pulled apart only to look deep into his eyes and tell him once more that everything would be fine.

I was shocked. Leah and Jacob? Jealousy that I didn't think I was capable of rose in my stomach and I longed to throw Leah off the very cliff that I had jumped off of myself, but I swallowed it and ignored the irrational feeling. They were getting married? Why hadn't he told me? I began crying again, and this time I had no idea why. All this time I had thought that Jacob loved me and I guess now I knew that I was wrong. He once explained the process of imprinting and now I understood it. He loved Leah. He had to love Leah, and she was his everything. I had to be happy for him. There was no other option.

A.N.: Thanks for reading...I'll continue it if I get some reviews...thanks a ton in advance! :)


	2. Diaries and Dust

Chapter 2

Diaries and Dust

A.N.: Still don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I got some awesome reviews and I have time so I decided to put another chapter up today…please review this one too…suggestions would be great! Thanks for your time and the reviews I've gotten so far. You guys are great 

There was nothing to do for the next several weeks but watch. I watched as Charlie got arrested by his own co-workers for public drunkenness and as Jacob and Leah fell more and more in love each day. I watched as Edward came back every day to the hospital after closing and put a fresh bouquet of flowers by my bed. He never stayed long and he never made the choice that I longed for him to make. The other Cullen's came too, but like Edward, they strayed towards my hospital bed long after the lights in the other wards had been turned out. In following with their charade, everyone believed that they lived in sunny California, and they planned to keep it that way. While I watched them, I learned something that my heart never would dare to acknowledge. That, he, Edward and all of the other Cullens still loved me, despite the words Edward had spoken that fateful day in the forest. Edward had explained it all away after the first visit to the hospital, and I was beginning to believe him. I almost had to leave the room when the Cullens came because it hurt so badly. To see them so close and not be able to say or do anything was torture, but even when I left, I could still hear them.

My dormant form heard every word what they said and they said a lot. Carlisle told me that he wished Edward would change me and that he was thinking of it himself. He was worried though, that I would never recover from my coma even if I was a vampire, and that he was worried about getting me safely out of the hospital if he decided to try. Esme told me that she wasn't ready to lose me and that it was killing her to see her daughter lying there. Rosalie and Emmett came together. Emmett was pretty emotional and as horrible as the situation was, there was some humor in that for me. Rosalie was her usual contemptuous self, but there was also pity behind her eyes. She wanted Emmett to help her just kill me so I wouldn't have to suffer any longer, but Emmett refused. Alice came next, her perfect tiny form hovering around my bed for the longest of anyone. Her eyes were bright when she looked at me. She told me that she had two visions. In one, I got stronger and pulled out of the coma and in the other; I was changed into a vampire. She said that she was going to help Carlisle and that soon I would be alright.

At first I was comforted. If Edward wouldn't change me, surely Carlisle or Alice would. They loved me just as much as he did and they didn't want me to slip away. The only problem was that they were hopeful. Alice's vision had Edward assured that I would wake up from this prolonged slumber. As long as he thought that I was going to get better, nothing could stop him from keeping the others from changing me. Rosalie was also on Edward's side. She wanted nothing to do with me, and thought that they should all move on. I wasn't really bothered by this. Rosalie had always been standoffish and rude when it came to me, so her feelings about the matter were no surprise to me. Edward was angry about it though, and that upset me.

Jasper was the only one who never came. No matter how much Alice pleaded with him, he wouldn't come. He said he had his reasons, and she understood.

The days became tedious. I didn't have to sleep, nor eat. Showering and brushing my hair were things of the past too. I was simply a spirit, nothing more, nothing less. My life basically consisted of following Edward's family around and when that got too painful, I saw Jacob.

Jacob was suffering and I felt badly about that too. There was nothing I could do to ease the pain, and it hurt me a lot. He had Leah though. The pairing confused me at first. Leah was empty headed and self centered and Jacob was so down-to-Earth and caring. I didn't see the attraction there, but as I watched them I realized that neither of them really had a choice. Even if they were mortal enemies, they couldn't fight the power of imprinting. I secretly hated Leah, but was really glad that Jacob had someone to turn to. My jealousy turned to gratitude as I realized how much she meant to him. I could get over my aversion to her as long as Jacob loved her. And he did.

1 MONTH AFTER THE ACCIDENT

"No. Carlisle you promised me that this could be my decision! She could still get better. There is time for her!" Edward yelled continuing the argument that had been going on since his family's secret return to Forks.

"Edward, there may not be much time left. Charlie is going crazy. He's depressed and he's talking about taking her off life support. It's been a month. You have been to medical school. You know as well as I do that the chances are not good. She can't even breathe on her own. It's the only way," Carlisle said calmly.

"Let's just say, for one second that I agree to this. How would we even get her out of the hospital before we change her? She'll die. And people will wonder where she went. People in comas don't normally just get up and walk away. They'll know someone took her. Think about Charlie. Think about her family. How could we do that to them?" Edward snarled back. He was unwilling to even consider the possibility. I fumed. It wasn't fair. I should have some say in this. I settled myself on the piano bench across the room.

The piano had once been the object of my attention when I came to this house a year or so prior. Edward's fingers had flowed over the keys like water over an ocean. I smiled at the memory. It had been a happier time. I missed those days. Now the keys were covered with dust and it was apparent that it had been a long time since Edward had graced it with his music. I fingered the lid for a moment, and the pressed down lightly on one of the keys. To my surprise (and Carlisle and Edward's) a loud, clear Bb rang out through the room. Edward and Carlisle stopped arguing and stared in my direction. I still wasn't there, but somehow I had played the piano. I tried to talk, but I still was incapable of speech.

The expression on Edward's face was almost comical. Carlisle simply looked puzzled. I giggled silently, and began to play. I was never really good at the piano, but I knew a few songs. About 4 notes into Moonlight Sonata, Edward was by my side, staring in astonishment at the keys moving in front of him. Carlisle remained seated. A small smile played its way across his face.

"Alright Alice," He called. "Very funny. Enough of that." His voice was deep and booming and it rang with authority.

"It's not Alice," Edward said. "I would hear her. She's not here. No one's here. What's going on?"

I stopped playing and looked up into Edward's face. I reached for him, but I felt nothing. My fingers went straight through him. It was like trying to grab smoke. I stood and put my hand on the piano for support and a handprint appeared in the dust. It was faint, but there. Neither of them noticed.

"Carlisle, what is going on?" Edward demanded. "What's happening?"

"I have no idea," Carlisle answered, staring absentmindedly off in the direction of the door. Seems like your sister pulled a prank somehow, though I can't imagine why she would do that in a time like this. Just talk to Alice when she gets home. I'm going to go. I'm going to visit Bella. And Edward, think about what I said. She will probably never wake up unless you decide to help her. I'm going to let you choose on this, but I am warning you that Alice will probably take things into her own hands if you don't do something soon."

Edward just nodded noncommittally. He was still staring at the keys of the piano. After Carlisle strode out the door, Edward sat very still for a long time. I was used to this. He didn't do a lot when he thought I wasn't around. It made me sad. I was going to leave and check on Jacob when I heard the familiar notes of my lullaby coming out the piano. Edward was sitting with his eyes closed and playing my song at half tempo. The notes were haunting and I immediately missed him more than ever. I missed the real life that we had together, not this half-life where I could only see him. I needed him to make me a vampire. It was the only way. When Edward's fingers reached the final note, they didn't stop. They continued onto an unfamiliar section. It was a continuation of my song, but one that I had never heard before. I was overcome with love. He was my everything. I looked down at the dust on the piano, and the handprint that was still there. Tentatively I lightly touched the wood of the piano with my right hand, and traced 6 words in the thin layer.

–I'm here and I love you

When Edward finished playing, he stood and flew faster than I'd ever seen him up the stairs to his room. He didn't see the words I'd written, but I didn't care. He would see them eventually. I followed him to his room, touching everything along the way. How could I touch the piano, the walls, and the thick carpet under my feet and not be able to touch Edward. Even Jacob I could touch. He couldn't feel me, but I could feel him, and he seemed to derive some comfort from my touch. Why was Edward so different?

By the time I had gotten to his room, he had already gone someplace else. Rather than follow him as I usually did, I decided to explore more of the house. I had already seen Carlisle's office and Edward's room as well as most of the downstairs, but I had never been in Alice and Jasper's room or Emmett and Rosalie's. I figured that this was as good a time as any, and walked down the hall.

I skipped the first door I came to, remembering that it was Alice's vast bathroom. The bathrooms were mostly superfluous anyway, but the Cullen girls did use them for make-up and hair help sometimes. Not that they needed it, but still. When I opened the next door, I knew it was Alice's room.

Everything was neat and organized, and yet still fun. The walls were a very soothing yellow and I guessed that Jasper had some influence there. Everything about the room was calming and I soon found myself very comfortable there. I looked around. Of course, probably mainly due to Alice, there was a huge walk-in closet that could hardly hold all of her different outfits and shoes. Jasper did own one small 

corner of the closet and it was very obvious that he had much less space than Alice. I felt a rush of affection for Jasper. He was a good guy, underneath it all. I did wonder though, why he never came to visit me in the hospital.

Alice's room was full of light and I wanted to stay there forever. I spent a good hour looking through the different photos that were in the album on top of the dresser. Alice had once told me that they really weren't supposed to take pictures in case someone came to their house and found photos of them from the 1800s, but Alice loved taking them, and so the others were subjected to impromptu photo shoots whenever she had a camera.

When I had seen every photo in the album, my eyes strayed to the book shelf. Glancing at the titles I saw that most of them were first additions of very well-known books. I wanted to reach out and touch one of the covers, but I immediately dismissed that thought. They must have been very old and valuable to be worthy of being kept in the Cullen's house. I was worried that I might spoil one of them by handling it. One of the books looked newer though, and as I picked it up, I realized that it was not a book at all. It was in fact, a leather bound diary with the name Japer Whitlock embossed in silver on the worn black cover.

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	3. Confessions and Coffins

Chapter 3

Confessions and Coffins

A.N.: Thanks so much for reviewing guys! I'll keep the chapters coming as long as you still want them, so keep reviewing. I'm always open to suggestions so really tell me what you think. THANKS! Oh, and I don't own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters.

I held the diary in my hand for a long time before I decided to read it. It was wrong, yes, I understand that, but I was curious to know what was going through the mind of the tall, brooding vampire on a day-to-day basis. The first couple entries were all within the last year, so I flipped to the very back to read the most recent, but had to stop after I realized that most of the entry was about me.

_Tuesday the 18__th_

_Today Alice had a vision about Bella. I could feel her tension as I watched her face change from one of bliss (We were shopping at the time) to one of horror. She wouldn't tell me what she saw at first, but I managed to persuade her. She said that she saw ME killing Bella in the hospital. She said that I would be too weak to resist and that Bella would have recovered if it wasn't for my presence there. I'm fairly sure that she knows the truth, and Alice, honey, if you are seeing me write this right now, then I guess you will know now anyway. Edward thinks that he is the only one who is affected by Bella's blood, but it haunts me too. More than any other thing there has ever been. I know I have been weak around humans before, but this is much different. So many times I have come close to slipping up and killing her and no one has yet noticed. Her birthday party was one thing. That was obvious, but other than that, I think I have been fairly good. I'm glad that sometimes I can block Edward's mind-reading abilities, because otherwise he would never trust me again, but I can't help myself. Almost every second of every day, I think of her. Her blood, warm and rich, flowing steadily through her veins. Her pulse sending bursts of scent towards me with every breath. It makes me nervous just thinking about it. I worry. I don't want to hurt Bella. Edward is so much happier with her around, and when other people are happy, so am I. I wouldn't be able to live around Edward if he didn't have her, but sometimes I feel myself just plotting her demise. I'm worried I'm losing my mind. I am a monster. Honestly, I like Bella, but I wouldn't have too many qualms about killing her. The problem is my family. Even if I hated Bella I wouldn't be able to kill her. They would never forgive me. _

I couldn't read any further than that. My hands slipped and the book fell to the floor with a dull thud. I didn't notice that Edward was standing in the doorway. He's speed and ability to be virtually noiselessly made it a lot easier for him to sneak up on me than I thought. He saw the book fall, and quickly replaced it on the shelf and looked beseechingly around the room. His eyes were narrowed in confusion.

His face still carried rings around his dark eyes. I had assumed that he was hunting up until that moment, but was now sorely disappointed. Didn't he know how dangerous it was to go without satiating his thirst? I mentally scolded him, but was incapable of doing more than that. Edward ambled slowly out of the room, and I internally winced. I was hurting him with all of this haunting stuff. I needed to stop making mistakes like this.

I followed him and watched as he collapsed on the couch in his room. He looked oddly frail and my heart swelled with the urge to touch his face. I wanted to make it better, but I could do nothing. It was killing me.

"Bella," He said and I could practically feel my heart accelerating. "I don't know what to do, Bella." He continued. "I love you and I want to be with you for forever, but I don't want this life for you. You deserve so much better than me."

I shook my head in silent denial, but he continued on anyway. Obviously talking to himself rather than addressing me.

"You are my life, and without you I have nothing. But I can't take away your life just because I don't have one of my own. I won't damn you just because I love you. It's not fair. I can't do this. I can't make this decision. I won't take your soul to save your life but I can't let you die. Why? Why did this have to happen? I left you for a reason Bella. I left so that you would have something else to live for. Why did you have to jump off a cliff? It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make ANY sense at all Bella."

I couldn't take the agony anymore, and although I knew the gesture was in vain, I still tried to wrap my arms around his body and hug him close to me.

"I feel like you are here sometimes Bella. Like you are standing right next to me, and I just can't see you. What do you want me to do Bella? I can't let you die, but I can't make you live. There are no options."

My arms closed on empty air. They couldn't make contact. I was expecting that, but there was still pain there. I reached up to stroke his face, but my fingers went right through.

"I can't do this Bella. I can't. I can't see you and I can't stay away. I'm not good for you, but you are good for me. I wish I'd never met you. It would have been far better for you never to have been near me. What twist of fate has brought us together only to be torn violently apart like this?"

He was incapable of sitting still at this point. He wandered the house, going from room to room. When he reached the front room, he lingered by the piano. The words were still etched in the dust and as he passed he paused. Once again a look of confusion crossed his face and for a second I was sure that he looked straight at me.

I tried to speak, tried to make him realize that I was here, but nothing happened. Nothing worked. So I gave up. I let go and suddenly everything went black.

I heard people moving around me and I had no idea where I was. I felt uncomfortably stiff like I had been lying still for too many days. My bones and muscles ached, but I felt oddly numb. I couldn't breathe, and yet my lungs were still inflating. I couldn't be alive and yet my heart was still beating. It took me a while to realize that I should open my eyes, but they were too heavy and I didn't have the strength or energy. I attempted to focus on the voices I kept hearing around me, but there were too many people talking at once and I couldn't think straight. My mind was going in circles and I couldn't keep up with it. I couldn't think of the last thing that I thought was real, and I couldn't figure out where I was. But then, my mind suddenly broke through the smog and I remembered what had happened. Somehow, I was back in my body. The second I realized this, I began to distinguish the voices around me.

"It won't be long now, Carlisle," Alice whispered. "She should wake up in about 7 minutes."

"I don't like this Esme. How do you know it will work and not…" Edward trailed off, but his doubt was clear

I struggled with my heavy lids, and eventually won. My eyes opened to a strange sight. I was still in the hospital, but it was night. The room around me was dark, but I was not alone. The Cullens were there, in their entirety. Carlisle stood at my right, checking my blood pressure and reading the heart monitor. Edward sat nervously by the foot of my bed and Alice watched the door. Esme, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett stood in a corner, unsure of what to do. Edward was the first to notice my improved condition.

"Oh, Bella," was all Edward could say before he was right next to me. His hand was in mine and I felt at ease knowing that he was here now.

"Edward," I tried to say, but my speech was thick and hard to understand.

Esme made her way forward and patted my head nervously. "Let's not do that again now, shall we?" She said with a tight smile.

My answering smile was slow, but it came, and with it, the feeling back into my face.

"Alright, we don't have a lot of time, so we are going to have to move quickly if we want to do this right." Carlisle said, moving away from the machines that probably were a short while ago, keeping me alive. "Bella, we are going to take you home with us."

I needed no further explanation. Edward gazed at me beseechingly, so I just nodded and allowed him to pick me up and run with me as fast as he could through the closest emergency exit. The alarm sounded, but I wasn't worried. The others would be able to get out as easily as they had gotten in.

The rush of air felt so good around my face. It had been a long time since I had flown like this, and I missed the sensation. Edward seemed very tense, but there was nothing I could do to alleviate that. By the time I had thought about the fact that we were moving, we were at his house, and the others were already waiting.

Edward's room had been transformed into a giant, lavishly decorated, hospital room of sorts. There was a huge bed, which looked much more comfortable than the one I was previously occupying, but there was also familiar machinery around the room. The same ones had decorated the room in the hospital where I had stayed for so long. Their soft beeping brought back unpleasant memories. The Cullens were all standing already in the room. Alice was bent over; a pained expression on her face that clearly portrayed the fact that she was having a vision. In seconds she straightened up and attempted a smile, but the look was hollow and didn't extend to her eyes.

"What's going on?" I finally asked. I was afraid. After so long of not being able to do anything, every movement seemed so strange. I was used to being ignored and being the spectator, now I was the spectacle and all eyes were on me.

"Bella, you just got out of a coma. If you'd still like to join our family, we would like to turn you into a vampire." Carlisle said, his smile bright, but wary.

"What?" Edward snapped. "Why can't we leave her human? She came out of the coma didn't she? She's going to be alright. We don't have to do this."

"Edward, she'll be back in the coma before long," Esme piped up from the corner of the room. The eyes darted from me to her, not understanding her words.

Edward locked eyes with her for a second and understood, but the others still had no idea.

"Well, Bella I guess I have to explain to you first what the others already know. Earlier this year, I made a discovery. Originally, we thought that the only ones in the family with extra talents were Edward, Jasper, and Alice, but very recently, I have discovered that I too have an extra ability. It seems that I can control the health of others around me. It does little to vampires because we don't get sick, but the couple of times I have visited Carlisle at the hospital, people around me get well, and I figured out that I can control it. When I heard you where in the coma, I had to find a way to help you, so I focused and used my powers to allow you to wake up. What we didn't know was the effect this has on me. It drains my power and makes me incredibly weak. I think eventually, it may even kill me. I can only keep you awake for so long before my power fades and I can't help you anymore. You should have died originally, and not lasted this long, but I've been working to keep you alive. Our family needs you, and we can't let you go yet." She broke off and looked at her oldest son. "Edward, we have to do this. If we don't change her, she'll die. There is no other option."

"Fine, but I want to be the one to do it," Edward said, stepping forward.

I was too scared to move. On the one hand, this was everything that I had ever wanted, but on the other, I was terrified of the pain. I could still feel the fire burning through my veins in my nightmares, and I absentmindedly traced the scar on my hand. I would endure that for Edward though. Life wasn't worth living without him. I nodded mutely, afraid that my voice would betray my fear.

"We can't do this yet!" Emmett interjected. "How are we going to explain her disappearance to the hospital? What are they going to think?" For the first time in a long time, I really looked at Emmett. He looked bulkier than I remembered, but I suppose that as because I hadn't seen him in such a long time. He, like everyone else, looked tired and thirsty. At that thought, my eyes inadvertently flashed to Jasper, but he was looking towards the floor.

"It's not important," Alice said. "There is no way it can be traced back to us. Why should we worry about it?"

"Charlie," I said softly.

"Yeah Alice, what is Charlie going to think? That his comatose daughter just got up and walked away?" Emmett shot back

"We'll fake her death. It won't be hard," Carlisle said. His eyes too were trained on the floor, and I wondered what desperate measures they would take to ensure that my father had some sort of closure. 

"We'll do it tonight. Bella, get some rest and Edward will change you first thing tomorrow. Edward go hunt. You'll need to prepare. Emmett and Jasper, come with me. Rose take care of Esme. Alice, you stay with Bella." Carlisle barked the orders and swept out of the room followed closely by Jasper and Emmett.

Rosalie and Esme went quietly to a separate part of the house, and Alice cheerfully remained with me. I was glad to have a friend nearby, and Alice was always a great comfort to me.

"Good night Bella. I'm going to be right next door if you need me. Just give me a shout. I'll hear you," Alice announced, and she flounced off to her bedroom. I searched hastily through Edward's bottom dresser drawer and found my favorite ragged pair of gray sweatpants of his and traded them for the jeans that I had on. I slid into the bed and was asleep the second my head touched the pillow.

I awoke the next morning early. My head ached from the pain killers I was on and they made me feel a little dopey. I wandered out into the hallway and heard a loud banging sound coming from the basement.

"Hello?" I called out. I was a little unnerved by the lack of life around the Cullen's house. Normally I wasn't left alone under these kinds of circumstances.

I stumbled down the basement stairs and saw Jasper hard at work building something out of thick planks of wood.

"Oh, hey. What are you doing?" I asked him, puzzled by the sudden show of this new talent. I should have known. Of course Jasper could be a carpenter. The Cullens are good at EVERYTHING!

Jasper turned and smiled. "Bella, you're up! Good. I was just building your coffin."

A.N.: Hope you liked! REVIEW!!


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